Sesshoumaru's Story
by miranran
Summary: The story of the Lord of the Western lands from his point of view and the events that made him into the man that he has become.


I brandished my sword for the final time and the demon was felled, it's crazed killings to plague these lands no longer. I sheathed my sword and turned from the demons final resting place, in no real hurry to go anywhere, my boredom from before the demon attack returning to me. My strides carried me north, my will choosing my next direction. There was silence. Jakken, who had long since left my side at the sight of blood and impending battle was far from where I now stood. If it was a comfort I couldn't say. There was little that comforted me these days. Silence only allowed for thinking, something I wasn't inclined to do except for strategy. Thinking only lead to reflection in the case of no battle and was not something I enjoyed otherwise. My thoughts however were interrupted for something else had put my boredom at bay. A scent. I turned east and pushed forward, past the trees, the ivy and into a clearing. The scent was getting stronger. I hurried on, if that is what one would call the way that I walk, casting a sideways glance at an abandoned well. Closer and stronger the scent grew, through more trees, more ivy until I reached… him.

As I looked upon him in his sorry state, I languished in the simple 'I told you so' this scene depicted. At the same time I couldn't help but think, as twilight descended around me, 'It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to end this way. I was supposed to go on living like the proud Lord of the Western lands and you… you…'

"Inuyasha. You were not supposed to be sealed to a tree for all eternity." I finished aloud. I looked on the tree dispassionately, my words ringing true despite myself. There could be nothing worse than watching, helplessly, as your brother—half or not—made a fool of himself. Used like a pawn in a game of chess by a queen. 'The queen of what Inuyasha? Your heart?' I thought begrudgingly. 'I would know, for I was once played too, only I was the King almost to be check-mated by a pawn who thought herself a Queen.' And even as I thought, I rolled back my mental sleeves. 'Thought was a dangerous thing, especially on a reflective mind.' I was such a fool back then….

* * *

"LORD SESSHOUMARU!" cried Jakken, his bright green toads skin shimmering in the summer day. "PLEASE, WAIT!" I laughed and turned to face Jakken.

"Wait? On a glorious day like this? Jakken." I continued, mockingly serious. "You… are getting old."

"Whaaa-! Lord Sesshoumaru- I, well, you-" he sputtered indignantly, I stopped dead and knocked him a bit viciously upon the head.

"Its just the facts of life Jakken. Its okay, we have a whole eternity to discuss your aging and such, but on a day like today," I merrily stated. "My birthday of all days! I would expect a little bit of youthful vigor from you Jakken!" I continued on my path toward the main village, Jakken recovering far behind me. "I'd suggest you hurry Jakken, or you shall certainly be left behind!" At this Jakken stirred and began scurrying to catch up, my stride carrying my to the first major shift in my destiny.

The village was full of action and energy bustling throughout the street. I walked through with my head held high, greetings coming from the folk who recognized me, bows from those who wished. My purse hanging from my obi, the coins inside clinking merrily with each step that I took. I walked from stall to stall, laughter and merriment following me like a contagious disease, bringing smiles unbidden to my lips. Crossing a road to the next set of vendors, my happiness pouring from every pore, I ran smack dab into a child. I never really looked down while I walked and upon looking up into the face of the future Lord of the Western Lands, the child took flight before I could even resister that it had really happened. Jakken yelled at the child's retreating back.

"Watch where you're running you filthy human! How dare you run into Lord Sesshoumaru! You are lucky he is in a good mood otherwise…."

I looked on as the child ran and Jakken ranted, taking one more step toward my destination. Then another, and another. Something was missing and if I hadn't looked to the weapons vendor across the way and reached for my purse I would never had known. That child just pick pocketed me, and had done it masterfully. I looked over the crowd to see if I could find the child, then picked his scent out of everyone else's and proceeded on the hunt. I ran through the traffic on the street, the scent of the child growing stronger. There! I spotted his little feet running into an alley. My feet lighted me to the corner and ran as fast as possible to where his scent was last. Running, running, running, turn, running, running, turn, turn… stop. I sniffed the air, but I had lost his scent. I backtracked and looked else where for the brat, drawing the attention of the people who lived in the homes surrounding me, the narrow alley ways now opening into the center fountain, trees lining the edges. I looked for what felt like forever, my nose turning up nothing, the people unwilling to give up the name of the thief for fear of the wrath of the 'Prince of the West'. I had reached the point giving up when a commotion sounded behind me.

"Oooh! I could just kill you! How dare you steal from anyone, the future Lord of the West at that!" yelled a female voice, indignation coloring each of her words. "You'd better hope the Lord of the West doesn't show mercy on you because if he does, I will do far worse than cutting off your fingers!" The scene had finally made it into the village square and a mix of laughter and hollering filled the air. None of that however, reached me. As soon as the woman, who had the little thief by the ear, walked onto the scene, my senses were dumbfounded. She was of a slender build, but tall for a woman. Her willowy appearance was off set by short, bob cut black hair. As she looked at the boy, her green eyes were flashing in fury at whatever she was continuing to say. Passion suited her. My eyes traced her womanly curves belying her maturity, her whole being seeming to call for my touch. Then, she looked at me.

Suddenly, time sped back up. "Wha-?" was all I had managed to force from my throat in reply. She frowned and my eyes fell briefly to her full pink lips then back to her eyes. She seemed at a loss for a moment, and then she regained her composure.

"I would like to formally apologize and beg your forgiveness Lord Sesshoumaru. My little brother," she said through gritted teeth, pulling him before her. "was under the impression that by stealing, he was helping our family. However this isn't the way we earn our living. We are hard workers, and earn our living honestly." She bit out, squeezing her small brothers shoulders as she spoke. "Now return the man his money and apologize, Gin." She pushed the boy lightly in my direction and he looked up into my eyes, terrified. I frowned as he knelt at my feet, offering my purse from the ground.

"I am sorry Lord Sesshoumaru. I regret this decision and beg for your mercy." He said from the ground as though he had rehearsed it. At this point I had no intention of punishing the boy, but it was time for him to learn a lesson he would never forget. 'And,' I thought, glancing at his sister, 'Time for a little fun.'

"Stand, boy." I said coldly. He stood on trembling legs and kept his head down. I began to circle him. "Do you know the punishment for thievery in the land of the west?" The boy swallowed hard. He nodded. "Tell me. Out loud." The poor boy was close to faint.

"The punishment is…." He swallowed again. "The removal of a persons fingers or their hands." I looked to the crowd around me and repeated what the boy had said.

"A suitable punishment for stealing from the Lord of the West, is it not?" I said winking to the crowd. Understanding my intent, the cheered and clapped, the brother and sister looking to me in unison, the brother scared, the sister uncertain. "Then so be it!" I roared, grabbing the boys wrist and drawing my sword. The boys eyes flew up to mine in terror and I almost lost my composure. His sister, however, interrupted me.

"Wait! Don't you think that's a bit extreme! He's just a boy-"

"A boy that obviously needs to be taught a lesson." Her eyes flashed and I knew she did not take kindly to being interrupted.

"How dare you! You are the lord of the west, you are supposed to be protecting the people from real criminals, not little boy who got lucky enough to steal from the Lord of the West, not to mention get away with it! If I had thought you would do this I would have never-"

"Then I guess you thought wrong." I said challenging her. Full fury enveloped her and it took all my cunning not to laugh. The boy had already figured out from the looks of things that if his hands were really to be cut off, they would have been already. The terror in his eyes was replaced by barely contained amusement, and when I looked down upon him, he sobered up a bit.

"Obviously I did you, unjust, pompous, low-bred, filthy, evil, conniving, false prince!" she half roared, half yelled. I raised my blade again and watched her go from furious to frightened. I dropped the sword to my side again.

"Perhaps, we can make a bargain. Your brothers hand, for yours… on a date?" At this request her emotions deflated. She looked around to the large crowd of people and even to her little brother and realized she was the last to realize what was really going on. Her hands covered her mouth in embarrassment, then anger captured her features, then suddenly, she was calm again. All within a span of seconds. Then she smiled and took my breath away.

"On one condition," she said, her smile turned upon me. "I choose the place." The crowd roared and I released the boy, who ran immediately back to his sister's embrace. I approached her and bowed.

"What is your name, fair maiden?" I said, the compliment sounding foreign on my tongue. She blushed lightly and bowed.

"Nita," she said. I smiled genuinely and she shook her head in disbelief.

"What?" I said, her confusion intriguing me. At 6 foot 2 the girl came to my chin, her green eyes looking up at mine in wonder.

"I'm just confused is all… why all the fuss?" _'over me' _her eyes finished for her. I shrugged.

"Your brother needed to be taught a lesson, and you," I grinned. "you are his beautiful older sister. I needed a bargaining chip." She frowned for a moment then laughed, a sound that touched me like faint chimes on the wind. A sound that I wouldn't mind filling my days with forever. 'Nights too if she would permit…' she turned her smile back upon me and continued.

"So what time should I be ready for this date?"

"Depends on where we're going." I said confident that she would tell me the destination when all the control I thought I had was out of my hands before I could complain.

"Good point. Be here in two days time, just before sunset. Bring dinner." With that she turned and pulled her brother along as she walked away, her hips swaying ever so delicately as she began, in earnest, to give her brother the tongue lashing of his life. For a moment, she turned and smiled at me. Smiling back, I was unaware that Jakken had arrived and was complaining about something that had to do with humans and life. I was in another place, another time, with her.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, I must say, all in all, your 18th birthday went off without a hitch." I smiled as I walked, realizing that Jakken hadn't even realized that I had been stolen from, let alone had a date in two days time. Twilight had descended upon us but my hopes had never been higher. I socked Jakken on the head.

"You are quite useless Jakken, did you even know that the boy had stolen from me?" I asked as the looming outline of Taisho estate rose from the horizon. I could easily have run home and been there in mere moments, but walking allowed me to see everything, a habit acquired from my father. I breathed in the dewy twilight air, catching all the smells in between. The farm animals pasture to my right. The irrigation water for rice fields to my left. The smell of firewood burning and food being cooked in the huts on the surrounding hills. I loved the silence of a given moment.

"HE WHAAAA!" cried Jakken shattering the peace of the moment, as he was prone to do. "My lord, tell me who he is, I shall see fit that he and his whole family suffer the wrath of the InuTaisho family. He will pay for what he has done!"

"Silence Jakken," I said in a most lordly manner. "I have passed judgment and the boy was punished for his crimes."

"Did you slice his fingers off one by one? Did you cut off his hand before the whole of the village? Did you banish him to walk alone in the Bone Eaters forest for life?" Jakken went on darkly.

"No," I replied evenly. 'This toads imagination is unbelievable.' I thought as he went on.

"Something more cruel than those things I just listed? Lord Sesshoumaru, you must've made an example of him! Humph. Serves him right. No one trifles with Lord Sesshoumaru and lives to tell the tale."

"Quite contrary Jakken, the boy is alive and well." Jakken was flabbergasted.

"Bu- bu- bu- but lord Sesshoumaru! He stole from you. His hands were minimum sacrifice for thievery!"

"And I told you he was duly punished."

"Lord Sesshoumaru-" I turned my full glare upon him and he began to cower.

"My decision is final."

"Yes m'lord. Of course but Lord Sesshoumaru. May I ask, how was the boy punished?"

"With the threat of losing his limbs."

"I see." Jakken said. Falling into silence we continued on. A tiny throat clearing sounded from Jakken and I pointedly ignored him. Silence, then-

"Hett-hett-hmmm…" another clearing of the throat from Jakken. I kept walking, hoping that he would give up. We carried on, the silence surrounding us once again. Crickets began to fill the night with their own form of music, lulling me into a false sense of security when-

"HETT-HETT-HMMMM…"

"Is there something you'd like to say Jakken?" I asked as though he had never cleared his throat.

"Oh, nothing Lord Sesshoumaru. How kind of you to acknowledge me." He said continuing the walk by my side. I knew it wasn't over, and I was steeling myself against—

"Hett-hett-hmmm- OW!" I grabbed his staff and smacked him in the back of the head. "M'lord that was absolutely uncalled— " he looked up at me and sigh. "Okay, I was just wondering if it was wise to allow that child to get away with his crime. M'lord you will be Lord of the West one day and I cannot help but think that its high time you began to behave as is befitting of you future station. He was nothing but a filthy human anyway; he is but a small sacrifice in the legend that will become 'Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western lands.'"

"No one should be sacrificed for my legacy Jakken. My father-"

"Your father m'lord, rules this land with an iron fist! Do not take for granted your future position Lord Sesshoumaru. People will gladly kill you or anyone in their path in order to dethrone Lord InuTaisho. Filthy humans would do it most readily, like feral animals, always ready to bite the hand that feeds them. Poised for the attack. And when it strikes-"

"-if it strikes-"

"It will be too late." Jakken finished nodding his head in a sage like manner. "Better to show these humans no mercy than allow them to believe you have compassion and softness in your heart."

"Not all humans are like that Jakken. The majority in fact. They love their leaders who protect them, who serve them justice with a hand that is righteous and fair. That is the ruler I shall become one who tenders love in his people, not fear."

"Then all is lost Sesshoumaru. You will see. These humans are naught but treacherous beasts."

"Jakken?"

"Yes?" I whacked him soundly on the head with his staff and left it beside him as I walked away.

"I am Lord Sesshoumaru to you."

"Yes… m'… lord." He forced out before collapsing to the ground. I looked to the setting sun and smiled. 'What does Jakken know anyway?' I thought shaking the cloud of doubt Jakken had brought away. 'Not all humans were like that. Not the people of the West.' As the sun finally set before me, the doubt had all but gone away for tomorrow promised so much more than today. Tomorrow my father returned home, and I would begin to learn the ways of my lands.

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I hope you like it! please review! :D -audaciousness


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